Can carrier



May 13, 1958 c. T. OSTERBERG CAN CARRIER 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed May 5, 1957 m T N E V m ATTORNEY y 1958 c. T. OSTERBERG 2,834,508

CAN CARRIER Filed May 3. 1 957 I 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 E 7 INVENTOR. I Car/ 2' Osfer'ber'g ATTORNEY l l v United States Patent 2,834,508 CAN CARRIER Carl T. Osterberg, Milwaukee, Wis., assignor to A. Geo. chulz Company, Milwaukee, Wis., a corporation of Wisconsin Application May 3, H57, Serial No. 656,777

6 Claims. (Cl. 220-112) This invention relates to a can carrier and deals particularly with a carrier comprising a handled sleeve capable of containing two rows of cans in side-by-side relation.

During recent years the use of carriers for containing a series of cans for sale as a unit has greatly increased. Some of these carriers comprise merely an open-ended sleeve having tabs foldably connected to top and bottom panels thereof for retaining a series of cans in place. Other such carriers comprise somewhat similar objects having handle panels projecting upwardly from the top thereof so that the carrier may be conveniently carried. While carriers of this type normally requiremore paper board than sleeves not having a carrying handle, they are preferred by some customers due to their added convenience. It is with this latter type of handle carrier that the present invention is involved.

In can carriers designed to contain two rows of cans in side-by-side relation and in which the cans are held in place by tabs foldable out of the plane of the top and bottom panels of the carton and engaging the chimes of the end cans of the series it has been found extremely desirable to provide a central partition panel. This panel is usually formed by providing two bottom panels hingedly connected to the lower edges of the opposed side walls and infoldably connecting a partition panel to one of these bottom panels. The other bottom panel is normally provided with a glue flap which adheres to the partition panel or to the other bottom panel. The partition panel usually extends between a pair of centrally located handle panels which are hingedly connected to the two top panels at the center of the carrier. While this structure is of considerable value, it does require additional paper board and for this reason is somewhat more costly to produce than some competitive can carriers.

It has been proposed to form central partition members by cutting these parts from central portions of the top panels and adjoining portions of the side Wall panels and connecting these cut-away portions to a pair of upwardly directed flanges connecting. the two bottom panels at the center of the carrier. While carriers of this type have been produced, difiiculty has been experienced forming an effective adhesive connection between the lower ends of the partition members and the upwardly directed flanges on the bottom panels. Furthermore, some difficulty has been experienced in opening the carriers formed in this manner due to the fact that the partition panels are separated by a narrow line from the top panels and adjoining portions of the side wall panels and the edges of the partition members tend to bind against the portions from which they are cut to resist the opening of the cartons. It is an object of the present invention to avoid the previous difficulty experienced with cartons of this type and to produce a stronger carton which may be more easily opened than those previously made.

An object of the present invention resides in the provision of a carton which is formed in two halves, the two halves being centrally connected together along the "ice top of the handle panels. Each section includes a handle panel, a top panel, a side wall panel, a bottom panel, and a flange marginally connected to the bottom panel. Partition straps provided in the two sections, each strap extending transversely across the top panel and into the adjoining portion of the side wall panel. These partition straps normally remain in the plane of the handle panels when the remainder of the carton is erected into a double tubular form.

A feature of the present invention lies in splitting the lower ends of each partition strap so that one-half of this strap can fold out of the plane of the other half thereof. The invention also involves forming in each of the flanges hingedly connected to the bottom panel a notch which is, at least as wide as one-half of the split portion of the partition strap and in offsetting the notches in the two flanges so that one notch is in register with the split halves of the partition straps on one side of center while the other notch registers with the two split portions of the partition straps on the other side of center. This arrangement has advantages which are not immediately obvious but which have been found through practice to exist.

One of the difficulties often experienced in the intricate gluing of can and bottle carriers lies in the fact that all of the parts being glued are not of the same thickness and as a result difliculty is experienced in applying the necessary pressure to the center portions of the structure to thoroughly adhere the same. In the present case, if the flanges hingedly connected to the bottom panels remain unnotched, the entire glue seam is of similar thickness and such an arrangement would seem advantageous. However, in the present case, the reduction of portions of the glued surfaces has been found advantageous and to produce results which are unexpected and unusual.

In the first place, by vertically splitting the partition straps and notching portions of the flanges to which they are secured in the manner described, each of the parallel partition straps may be adhered to each of the flanges. Or stated otherwise, one split half ofthe lower portion of each partition strap is adhered to the flange which forms a part of the other section of the carrier. As a result of this arrangement, the lower portion of each partition strap is forced by pressure out of the plane of the panels from which it is cut at least along one-half of the strap. As a result of this arrangement, the carriers are easily expanded into tubular form and the tendency of the partition straps to remain in the planes of the panels from which they are cut is greatly reduced.

A further feature of the present invention lies in the fact that the weight of the carton contents rests upon the bottom panel and these panels must be securely adhered together. When the blank is in folded form during the gluing operation the end portions of the flanges are subjected to somewhat greater pressure than is applied to lower ends of the partition strap and thus are more firmly adhered than would otherwise be the case. At the same time, in spite of the slight reduction in thickness in the areas to be glued which causes ad-- herence of the partition straps to the flanges, it has been found that sufiicient pressure may be applied to permit the partition straps to provide the necessary support.

A further feature of the present invention lies in the fact that each partition strap remains unadhered to the flanges forming a part of the same section. The glue which adheres the bottom flanges together and which secures these flanges to the partition straps are notches and the notch overlies the unsplit half of the partition strap of the same section. Only the portion of each strap which is accessible through such a notch is adhered to the flange structure. each partition strap is free to flex out of the plane of the other half of the lower strap portion. permitting this portion of each strap to more readily be disengaged from the portions from which it is cut.

One of the most important features of the present invention resides in the simplicity of the gluing operation. If the flanges remain unnotched, it is necessary to spot glue the lower end of each partition strap to the flange of the same section thus materially complicating the gluing operation for if the glue is improperly applied the adhesive spotted to the partition strap will tend to adherecertain of the panels together to prevent the carton from opening into, tubular form. By notching the flaps, the cartons may be glued in a straight line operation which may be accomplished at twice the speed of the spot gluing operation and without the diflicuIties previously involved in such an operation.

These and other objects and novel features of the present invention will be more clearly and fully set forth in the following specification and claims.

In the'drawings forming a part of this specification:

Figure 1 is a persepective view of a hand carrier contaning a series of cans.

Figure 2 is a perspective view similar to Figure 1 showing the carrier empty.

Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view through the carrier,

the position of the section being indicated by the line" 33' of Figure 1.

As a result, one-half of the lower portion of Figure 4 is a sectional view on a horizontal plane through the lower portion of the carrier, the position of the section being indicated by the line 44 of Figure 3.

Figure 5 is a diagrammatic view of the blank from which the carton is formed.

Figure 6 is a planned view of the blank after the first folding operation.

Figure 7 is a diagrammatic view of the flap blank in fully folded condition.

Figure 8 is a sectional view through the carrier, the position of the section being indicated by the line 88 of Figure 7. p

The carrier is indicated in general by the letter A and is designed to contain cylindrical objects such as cans, the cans being indicated in general by the letter B. The

carrier A is formed from the blank best illustrated in Figure 5 of the drawings. This blank includes a pair of handle panels 10 and 11 which are foldably connected together along a central fold line 12. A top panel 13 is foldably connected to the handle panel 10 along a fold line 14, the top panel being divided in a manner which will be later described. A similar top panel 15- is foldably connected to the handle panel 11 along a fold line 16. The top panel 15 is also divided into two sections as will be later described in detail.

A side wall panel 17 is foldably connected to the top A panel 15 along a line of told 19. The top panel 15 is line 27. A flange 29 is foldably connected to the bottompanel 24 along a fold line 30. All of the fold lines which have been described are in substantially parallel relation.

The panel 10 is provided with a pair of fi'ngerapertures 31 which may, of course, comprise a single handle opening. Registerable openings 32 are provided in the handle panel 11. The: openings 31 and 32 are register-able.

when the blank is folded along the center fold line 12 and the upper edges of the various apertures may be provided with short bearing flaps such as 33 which are foldably connected to the: upper edges of the respective apertures by short fold; lines 34;

Thus it will be seen that carton A is divided into two sections which are generally similar in form. One of these sections lies above the central fold line 12 in Figure 5 while the other section lies below this fold line. The upper section includes a partition strap 35 which is formed by parallel cut lines 36 which may if desired flair outwardly adjoining their connection with the fold line 14. The flaired upper portion 37 is intended to widen the partition strap and to increase its supporting engagement with the handle panel 10.

While the cut lines 36 have been described as parallel, obviously they may divert or convert as the particular shape of these cuts is not important. The cut lines 36 extend entirely across the top panel 13 and into the side wall panel 17 thus dividing the top panel into two top panel sections 39 and 40. The cut lines 36 are shown as diverging apart at 41 to form a base or anchoring portion which is divided into two sections 42 and 43 by a central cut line 44 which extends at substantially right angles to the various fold lines which have been described. The cut line 44 thus forms a divided end upon the partition strap for a purpose which will later be described more in detail.

A similar partition strap 45 is provided in the section of the carton below the fold line 12 in Figure 5. The strap 45 is defined by a pair of cut lines 46 which diverge apart at the upper extremity as indicated at 47 adjoining their connection with the fold line 16 and which also diverge apart as indicated at 49 to provide an enlarged lower portion of the partition strap.

As indicated in Figure 5 of the drawings, the partition strap 45 extends entirely across the top panel 15 of the carrier dividing this top panel into twopanel sections 50 and 51. The cut lines 46 also extend into the side wall panel 20, the length of the partition strap 45' from the fold line 16 being substantially equal to the height of the side wall 20. The lower enlarged end of the partition strap 45 is centrally divided by a out line 52 which preferably extends in right angular relation to the fold lines dividing the carton into sections. The central fold line 52 divides the enlarged end of the strap 50 into two anchoring sections 53 and 54 which may flex relative to one another.

Means are also provided in the various top and bottom panels for holding the cans B in place in the carrier. Generally triangular tabs 55 and 56 are foldably connected to-the bottom panel 22 along fold lines 57 and 59 which extend diagonally across the transverse center line of the carton panel 22, the tabs 55 and 56 being definedv by angular cut line 60, the ends of which communicate with fold lines 57 and 59. When these flaps 55 and 56 are folded along the fold lines 57 and 59 to overlie the bottom panel 22 to which they are hinged, the edges 61 of the cut lines engage against the chime of-anend can of a series resting upon the bottom panel 22' and hold the can from outward movement.

As the particular tab structure is the subject of a copending application, the details of construction will not be emphasized in the present application. However, it should be noted that the top panel 13 is provided with a pair of similar triangular tabs 62, the top panel 15 is provided with a pair of similar triangular flaps 63, and

the bottom panel 24' is provided with a pair of flaps 64 which are also similar to those described.

The flange 26 is notched as indicated at 65, the notch being generally retangular inform and extending to the fold line 27, thus dividing the flange 26 into a short section 66 and a longer section 67. Thenotch 65 is slightly larger indimensions than the section 42 at the anchoring end of the partition strap 35. As a result, when the carton blank is folded along the fold line 23 so that the bottom panel 22 overlies a portion of the sidewall. panel 17 this notch 65 exposes the section 42 of the strap 35 and permits this exposed portion to be adhered to the opposite flange 29.

The flange 29 is also notched as indicated at 69, the notch 69 extending to the fold line 3% and thus dividing the flange 29 into two sections 70 and 71. The notch 69 is of slightly greater area than the anchoring end 54 of the partition strap 45 so that when the carton blank is folded along the fold line 25, the partition strap end section 54 is exposed through the notch 69. Thus this section 54 of the partition strap may be adhered to the opposite flange 67 of the upper carton section. It will be noted that the notch 65 is on one side of the longitudinal center line of the blank while the notch 69 is on the opposite side thereof.

In forming the carrier from the blanks shown in figure 5, glue is applied to the under surfaces of the flanges 26 and 29 and the blank is folded along the fold lines 23 and 25 so that the bottom panels 22 and 24 and their associated end flanges overlie the sidewalls 17 and 20 respectively. In this condition, the blank appears as indicated in Figure 6 with the glued surfaces of the flanges 26 and 29 uppermost. The manner in which the end section 42 of the partition strap 35 is exposed through the notch 65 and the manner in which the end section 54 of the partition strap 45 is exposed through the notch 69 is barely visible in Figure 6 of the drawings. Strips of glue may also be applied to one of the handle panels such as to the handle panel 10, the strips of glue being indicated at 72.

To complete the assembly of the carrier, the carrier is folded along the center fold line 12 so that the upper section which previously was shown above the fold line 12 in Figures 1 and 2 of the drawings is folded over into superimposed relation with the lower section. Pressure is applied to the handle flaps squeezing the handle panels of flaps 10 and 11 together to adhere these two parts. Pressure is also applied to the area of the carton enclosing the flanges 26 and 29 which are in superimposed relation. The end portions of the flanges 26 and 29 are in superimposed relation to the carton side walls 17 and 20 and thus these end portions of the flanges comprise four thicknesses of paper board. However, the notches 65 and 69 reduce the thickness of the central portion of the glue line and suflicient pressure must be inserted at this point to press the anchoring section 42 of the partition strap 35 into engagement with the section 70 of the flange 29 and to urge the anchoring portion 54 of the handle strap 45 into engagement with section 67 of the flange 26 thus the lower end of one partition strap in one carton section is adhered to the end flange of the carton section and vice versa.

If a stronger bond is required between the handle panels 10 and 11, staples such as 73 may be stitched through these handle panels near the fold lines 14 and 16 connecting the handle panels to the top panels 13 and respectively. The insertion of these staples is somewhat of a matter of choice.

The carriers are stored and shipped in the condition illustrated in Figure 7 of the drawings. When it is desired to use the carriers, they are folded into the position shown in Figure 2 of the drawings by swinging the top and bottom panels of the two sections into right angular.

relation with the handle panels 10 and 11 and the associated partition straps. As indicated in the drawings, the partition straps 35 and 45 may be hingedly connected to the handle panels 10 and 11 so that the handle panels may be folded in unison to overlie one side or the other of the carrier when the filled carriers are stored or shipped.

After the carriers A have been erected into the position illustrated in Figure 2 of the drawings, a pair of cans are inserted into the carrier to be in position midway the ends thereof. The various flaps 55, 56, 62, 63, and 64 are then folded along their respective fold lines so that these flaps extend downwardly from the top walls and upwardly of the carrier. The end pair of cans are then inserted into each end of the carrier, the cans folding the flaps until they extend in substantial surface contact with the panels from which they are folded. When the end cans have bee-.1 fully inserted, the various tabs engage against the chimes of the cans and retain the cans from disengagement from the sleeve.

Thus it will be seen that the carrier is easily glued in a straight line operation and the parts need not be spot glued together. Furthermore, due to the variation in thickness between the adhered portions of the carton, the edges of the two partition straps are normally moved out of the planes of the remainder of the panels from.

which they are cut and as a resultthe carton will easily fold.

In accordance with the patent statutes, I have described the principles of construction and operation of my carrier, and while I have endeavored to set forth the best embodiments thereof, I desire to have it understood that obvious changes may be made within the scope of the following claims without departing from the spirit of my invention. I

I claim:

1. A carrier including a pair of hingedly connected sections including in succession a handle panel, a top panel, a side wall panel, a bottom panel, and a securing flange connected by substantially parallel fold lines, a partition strap cut from the top panel and from an adjoining portion of each side wall in each section, said handle panels being secured in surface contact and said flanges being folded upwardly from said bottom panels and secured together in surface contact, each of said flanges having a notch therein, said notches being offset on opposite sides of center, each of said partition straps having its extremity longitudinally split into two individually flexible portions, each said notch being of proper size to accommodate one portion of one of said partition straps therein, and means securing said one portion of the partition strap of each section to the flange of the other section.

2. The structure of claim 1 and in which each said notch extends to the fold line connecting the correspond ing flange to the adjoining bottom wall.

3. The structure of claim 1 and in which each partition strap is defined by cut lines which extend across said top panels dividing said top panels into two spaced parts.

4. The structure of claim 1 and in which the upper and lower extremities of said partition straps are wider than the center portions thereof.

5. A carrier including a pair of hingedly connected sections including in succession a handle panel, a top panel, a side wall panel, a bottom panel, and a securing flange connected by substantially parallel fold lines, a partition strap cut from the top panel and from an adjoining portion of each side wall in each section, said handle panels being secured in surface contact and said flange being folded upwardly from said bottom panels and secured together in surface contact, said top and bottom panels of the two sections being on common parallel planes and at substantially right angles to said side wall panels when said carton is in use, each said partition strap being substantially equal in length to said side wall panels and being formed by cut lines extending across said top panels and into the adjoining .portions of the side wall panels, the end of each partition strap being longitudinally split into two relatively flexible portions, a notch in each of said flanges into which one portion of the partition strap ofthe same section may extend, the notches being offset and the partition straps being contiguous, and means securing said one portion of each partition strap to the flange of the other section.

6. .The structure of claim 5 and in which each notch spective 'bottom panel.

No references cited. 

